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Chris Leblanc's avatar

Interestingly the first kata in Araki-ryu are actually adaptations of the assassination technique for the purpose of capture. Same technique, different end state.

And no one in Araki-ryu is ever unarmed....

Peter Boylan's avatar

Being armed is a state of mind. I was not aware of the origin of those kata. Rather cool.

Chris Leblanc's avatar

Well said.... Definitely appreciate your points in this one, hopefully more folks will see it.

Yep, the one you linked is gokui, but the Sankyoku, that you see demonstrated in full in many embu in Japan, end with Uke being pinned, not cut. In fact in one, he is disarmed of his knife. Same technique (literally), varied outcomes built in.

Joe M.'s avatar

I'm reminded of the approach espoused by N. B. Forrest...

"Git thar fustest with the mostest!"

and his adversary W. T. Sherman

"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it..."